Is the nursing profession causing its own RN shortage?

[RNDave]

With all the RN's going to NP school, is the profession significantly contributing to the RN shortage? Between retirement and RN's in line to become NP's it seems our unit is on a constant hunt for staff.

[Farawyn]

I recently saw something that showed that New York is the most expensive state to live in, followed very closely by California.

I should know---I live in New York, and the cost of living is through the roof.

*raises hand*

I have a very good friend in Cali. We were discussing $$$$ which I usually don't do. I told her hubs and I combined income and she almost pooped her pants, until I told her how much my little house cost.

Middle class, and there we shall stay.

[Farawyn]

I didn't say s/he was a troll, I said s/he acted like one. As for inflammatory, I will quote another member regarding this:"

The trick is not to let those nit pickers get to you or to drive the conversation.Let them perseverate."

I'll follow that advice.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

I didn't say s/he was a troll, I said s/he acted like one. As for inflammatory, I will quote another member regarding this:"

The trick is not to let those nit pickers get to you or to drive the conversation.Let them perseverate."

I'll follow that advice.

Semantics. Not that much different.

[Emmysue]

When young friends tell me they want to go to nursing school, I always ask if they are ready to be blamed for missing any errors in the doctor's orders and also being held responsible for any error made by the aids working under you. Are you ready to be the middle of a responsibility sandwich? I must say it causes them to think twice. We get pressed like a panini!

[Dogen]

Lively debate I agree with. I insulted no one. I stated my opinion.

An opinion that disparages someone (like calling them a troll), written on a forum, is an insult. So.

[CHESSIE]

Dave, why is being an RN seen as a bridge to a better career? Some of the RNs, who are still employed by hospitals, working clinically, as well as others who have left to become NPs are saying that when employers do not value their employees as the people who make a corporation successful, they soon become dissatisfied. When that occurs they start to explore other opportunities. This is true of hospital corporations, both non profit and for profit as well as corporations that are in other businesses.

[Us2them3we5]

I absolutely agree. Nurses rarely nurse anymore we pass meds , takes care of computers as they add more boxes to be checked. Short staff the unit , high or turn over rate with impossible goal dc times but don't forget to teach your pt everything under the sun. The work flow is what is making everyone flee the bedside.

[RuralRN07]

The "shortage", in my opinion, comes from nursing students looking at the bigger picture and wanting to skip bedside nursing and go straight to administration, care planning, etc. not that they are not needed, because they are. But if no one wants to do med/surg and LTC then who will? Who is going to be left to take care of us?

My second opinion, hospitals are looking more solely at BSN trained staff. I am not a BSN (although I've taken most of the courses) and I don't feel that a BSN will make me a better nurse than what an ADN has. I don't have to know statistics or world religion to be able to hang blood on a patient who can't accept that he's got leukemia. Does he care? Does he even know that I haven't taken these classes yet. But I know how to take care of him. How to listen to him. What side effects to look for if he is having a reaction to the blood and what I need to do if that happens. And yes. As an RN I will wipe butts. Give showers. Feed. Push a cart. Whatever it takes to do my job and take care of my patients.

A lot of places don't hire aides anymore. So these are the jobs of the RN. Even if they are a BSN.

[NedRN]

Judging by the travel nurse market, there are enough medsurg nurses. Where there is a real shortage is cath lab, operating room (and CVOR), and L&D. Medsurg has been declining for over 20 years with the introduction of DRGs and vastly shortened hospital stays. It is likely that the new entry level jobs post ACA passing will be home health. LTC is likely to continue to grow as America ages.

[CHESSIE]

My hospital is chronically short staffed in ALL the departments. I work ER and if we get a patient that becomes ICU or DOU then be ready to sit on that patient all day as there are no beds (actually there's plenty of beds, just no nurses to take care of those beds).

Were hiring new grads constantly none stop but nurses quit faster than they can be replaced. And therein lies part of the problem.

Most hospitals that are horribly short staffed all the time either simply don't pay their staff enough money to retain them or don't make the work environment practical to work in.

Add those those conundrums, is the issue that there are insufficient numbers of nurses to mentor the new grads. New grads, especially from the BSN colleges/universities do not have the clinical skills necessary to "hit the ground running," unless they have been ADNs, diploma grads or LPNs with several years of clinical experience prior to entering the BSN programs.

[Farawyn]

Add those those conundrums, is the issue that there are insufficient numbers of nurses to mentor the new grads. New grads, especially from the BSN colleges/universities do not have the clinical skills necessary to "hit the ground running," unless they have been ADNs, diploma grads or LPNs with several years of clinical experience prior to entering the BSN programs.

New grads from any program shouldn't be preceptors. I have no beef with BSN educated nurses at all!

[CHESSIE]

Sounds like incompetent management. Why do they refuse to take measure to cut turnover?

Management does not care about the retention of experienced RNs. Management cares only about the "bottom line." RNs with many years of service, and experience are more "expensive" than the newly graduated RNs.